We are going to learn more about the food eaten in Tudor times. The Tudors We are going to learn more about the food eaten in Tudor times.

The Poor There were a great many poor people in Elizabethan England. One reason was because of bad harvests. Between 1594 and 1598 the harvest failed 5 times! This brought hunger everywhere in England in some parts, famine.

What did they eat? Mostly the poor relied on bread. When the harvest was bad the size of the loaves sold became smaller and smaller and therefore it was more expensive to buy enough to live on. Sometimes they would catch rabbits to eat, hares or fish to go with their turnips, beans and cabbage.

Terrible Tudor Greed! Of course, the rich could afford to eat much more than the poor. Eating was an important part of life at court. One feast of Henry VIII went on for seven hours! Many dishes were for show rather than eating for example a ‘cockerice’ would be made by sewing the front half of a cockerel onto the back half of a baby pig before roasting. YUCK!

Your Tudor task. On your table you will find an envelope. Spread the cards out onto the table. Sort the cards into 2 piles. Modern day food, drink and cooking Tudor food, drink and cooking. Which of the foods and tools do you think would have been for the poor, the rich?

Plenary Foul Facts. Tudor women, men and children in England drank beer, wine, sherry, mead and cider. Not because they were drunkards- because the water was so polluted it could not be drunk unless it was boiled!